Midi sur l'Asie

We’ve decided to follow in the bus tour’s footsteps and explore the Golden Circle , located in the centre of Iceland . Did I tell you the sun here is only rising at 11:00am and setting at 5:00pm? It never gets really high during the winter and the result is a permanent sunrise and sunset. I can’t even find the words to describe the beauty of the landscapes. I can barely keep my eyes on the road! Bathed in the light, ice all around, no one on the tiny track, we feel like two explorers in the North Pole.

Gullfoss, our first stop is a majestic waterfall. A little path allows you to go very close to the water. Everything is frozen and each tiny icy magnifying glass is catching the rays of the sun.

And suddenly, it’s the storm. The sky goes from blue to white, the snow starts falling in big lumps. How did that happen? No idea but half an hour and 4 cm of snow later, the sun is back again and it’s as if nothing had happened.

Geyser (For your culture Britons, the word geezer is originally from Iceland) is another natural Icelandic treasure. Water is boiling at the surface of the earth and releasing pressure and water at regular intervals. One crater is particularly impressive and liberates huge spray of water every 5 minutes. A big blue bubble forewarns the projection of water.

I think I’m high on fresh air and amazing breathtaking wild landscapes. I could stay there for hours watching the light get caught in the steam but it’s time for us to make a move. We don’t want to be stuck in the dark in the middle of nowhere and our car is everything but built for icy roads. I receive the confirmation not much later. We want to see the first place where the Icelandic parliament settled, Þingvellir. There’s no road to access it, just a track. I engage the car on the track but get stuck only a few metres further. The little Toyota can’t get over the first hill and slides down uncontrollably towards the ditch. I am f*****g scared and shaking even more uncontrollably! Change of plans, back to the main road. We’ll have to come back another time. We are slightly disappointed but forget quickly: the views are fantastic and every corner is presenting new stunning vistas. People say Iceland is all about the journey, not the destination. It is true.

Still following the advice of my flatmate Alex, we are heading off to a lovely, quirky, funny little fish bar on Reykjavik ’s harbour, the Fish Baron. Icelandic people traditionally go there for a bowl of the best lobster soup ever and maybe a mink whale brochettes before going out. Yes, me too I thought it was forbidden to kill whales nowadays but not there apparently! The restaurant is not even mentionned in guide books but is well worth the trip. And it’s cheap.

Back to the hotel, knackered and happy, with stars and sunsets in our eyes, Iceland , so far is beyond all our expectations. I can’t wait til tomorrow!